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Google is raising the appeal of Glass, now widely available, with a suite of applications related to travel, including TripIt, Foursquare and OpenTable. "[T]he company seems to be making a concerted push around travel," writes Anthony Ha. Google also announced that former Art.com Chief Marketing Officer Ivy Ross will head up the Glass unit.

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US smartphone users on average download only 3.5 apps, and nearly half never download any, according to a comScore report. The findings show that the app market is tightening, leaving few ways to break through other than producing a highly novel app or one that's sold through traditional marketing.

Applause, a company that tests apps in real conditions, recently released a report that ranked the quality of travel apps. "What we wanted to do is actually start to create these types of research reports that help companies benchmark themselves and even help thought leaders and pundits benchmark the industry," said Matt Johnston, chief strategy and marketing officer for Applause. According to the report, the top five brands are: Booking.com, TripAdvisor, Kayak, TripIt, and Hotels.com.

Google has updated its AdMob mobile ad platform to include stronger support for free applications that include optional paid features. New ads will offer targeted promotions of in-app purchases based on consumer behavior or demographics. Live data about costs per impression and enhanced ad network optimization options will also be part of the update.

Smartphones that utilize GPS and other technologies are transforming travel with apps like itinerary organizer TripIt, local listings offerings through Google Maps, receipt tracker iReceipt, and custom apps designed by hotel chains and attractions.